Step-by-step transmitter



Jan. 24, 1933. E. w; SUNDBERG STEP-BY-STEP TRANSMITTER Filed Oct. 1, 1951 INVENTQR EMANUEL Vl SUNDBERG Patented Jan. 24, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EMANUEL W. SUNDBERG, OF BROOKLYN,,-NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS LABORATORIES, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 01 NEW YORK STEP-BY-STEP TRANSMITTER This invention relates to step-by-step transmitters and especially to automatic telegraphic and cable transmitters of, the vtype employing a perforated tape. L

It is an object of the inventionto facilitate the transmission of telegraphic signals.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of a transmitter of the type mentioned whereby the transmitting contacts are closed for a maximum length of time to insure positive transmission of signals.

It is another feature that the pressure ef fecting and maintaining the closure of the transmitting contacts is independent of the pressure of the pecker rods on the tape.

Other featuresand advantages will become apparent from the following description and appended claims. p

The invention involves the controlling vof the pressure of each of the transmittin contacts solely by an independent and a justable biasing means so that the contact pressure is in no way dependent upon the pressure of the pecker rods on the tape.

For'the purpose of illustrating the genus of the invention a typical concrete embodimentis shown in the accompanying drawing, in which the single figure is a perspective depicting the essential features.

In the embodiment illustrated, a main operating shaft 10 is provided for effecting rotation'of a tape feed wheel 11 fixed thereon. A ratchet wheel 12 isalso fixed. tofshaft 10. A feed pawl 13co-operates with the teeth of ratchet wheel 12 to rotate the shaft. This pawl is made sufficiently wide so that it may also operatea second ratchet wheel 14 which is mounted on the main drive shaft 10 so as to rotate freely thereon. A cam 'wheel 15 is attached or coupled to the ratchet wheel 14 and rotates with it. The ratchet wheels 12 and 14 do not have the same number ofteeth, the former having the larger number, for example, wheel 12 may have twelve teeth, while wheel 14 may have but nine. Any suitable means for intermittently feeding the pawl 13 may be provided, but preferably comprises an electro-magnet 17 for actuating an arma-g ture 18 disposed at one end of an operating 7 arm 19, pivoted at 20, andconne'cted at the other end to a boss 21 on the feed pawl 13. A spring 34 serves to return pawl 13 to its initial position. The coil of electro-magnet 17 is arranged in circuit with an operating key 22, a commutator or interrupter 23,'and a source. of current supply'24. p

A jockey arm 25 mounted to pivot freely on a shaft 31 is provided with a roller 26 cooperating with recessed portions 30of-the cam wheel 15, normally to maintain the ratchet wheel 14 in position to coact with the feed pawl 13. A second jockey arm 28 also mounted to pivot freely on shaft 31 is provided with a cam portion which co-operates with the teeth of ratchet wheel 12 to maintain this wheel in the desired position rela-.. tive to the feed pawl 13. Jockey arms 25 and 2 8 are biased into engagement'with the cam disk 15 and ratchet wheel12 respectively by springs29. and 32/ Jockey arm 28 is provided with a pin 41 whichisadaptedto engage arm 25 for purposes which will beex plained. Energization of the electro-magnet 17 causes, the feed 'pawl13 to rotate'the ratchet wheels 14 and .12 in a counter-clock wise direction. When pawl 13 starts its feeding movement it first picks up'atooth of ratchet wheel 14 initiating the rotation of cam wheel 15. As the pawl further advances it picks up a tooth of ratchet wheel12 and causes the rotation of tape feed wheel 11.

The tape feed wheel 11 is provided with projections 40 for, engaging perforations in a tape to cause its advance.

Jockey arm 25 is also provided with a pin 42 adapted to engage pecker operating levers 43 and 44.

(The above described construction and its operationis essentially the same as that disclosed in a co-pending application of W. F. Cassedy, Serial Number 520,857, filed March 7 1931, andassigned to the same assignee as is the present application.

In the present construction pecker rods 45 and 46 are pivoted at 47 to extensions projccting from levers 43 and 44. The ends of these rods are arranged to engage two rows of perforations provided] in the tape Tin addition to those engaged by the feed wheel 11.

The peck-er operating levers 43 and 44 are pivoted on a shaft 48 and extend beyond the points 47 at which the pecker rods are pivoted to the levers. The pin 42 engages the extended. end of the levers to disengage the pecker rods from tape T upon the depression of jockey arm v25 by the raised portions 27 of the cam wheel 15 and permits the pecker rods to engage the tape as the pin 42 is raised by spring 29 whenever the roller 26 seats itself and 53 to space position by means of link 54 I connected to one arm or hell crank '55. pivoted at 56. The other arm of the bell crank carries av pin 57 whichengages theends of push rods 58 and 60 to move cont-act arms 52 and53 to bring spring contacts 70 and 71 into engagement with spacing contacts 61 and 62 respectively. Pawls 63 and 64 are'provided for engaging notches 65 and .66 in push rods 58 and 60 to retain the contact arms 52and 53 in spacing position .until pin 42 on moving upward disengages these pawls from the notches. Numerals 67 and 68-designate markingconta'cts. A pair of springs 35 and 36 serve to bias pawls 63 and 64 against pin42 and yieldingly hold push rods 58 and 60 againstthe shaft 37 on which pawls' 63 and 64 are mounted. Springs 38 and 39 bias contact arms 52 :and.53 into engagement with the marking contacts 67 and 68 when these arms are not held in spacing position. Independent adjustment screws are provided to regulate the tension of springs 38 and 39. v

The operation of the device is as follows: Operation of key 22 closes an intermittent circuit through magnet 17, which in turn intermittently attracts the armature 18 and operates-arm 19.. k

, The operation of this arm upon the energizing stroke causes the pawl 13 first to engage a tooth in the wheel 14, causing it and the cam wheel 15 to start rotating;

The wheel 15, in rotating, causes a raised portion '27 to force roller 26 downwardly, carryi-ng arm .25 and pin 42 in the same direction. The pin 42 upon engaging the pecker operating arms 43. and 44 causes pecker rods 45 and 46 to be drawn down and away from thetape or perforations inthe tape.

As the pawl 13 advances, it engages a tooth in wheel 12, causing the feed wheel 11 to r0- tate and advance the tape T. The ockey arm 28 starts downward immediately with the movement of the tape and the pin 41 moves downwardly toa position in which it pro vents jockey arm 25 from rising until the cam portion 33 of the arm 27 drops into the notch of the next tooth of wheel 12, which will occur when one step of the feed of the tape is completed, the pin 41 then moving out of the path of the jockey arm 25 and allowing it to move its roller 26 into a recess 30 of wheel 15. 7

When the jockey arm 25 traveled downward it also rotated bell crank 55 about pivot When the tape T is advanced one step and the jockey arm 28 .moves. upward into engag'ement with a notch of the teeth of wheel 12,- the link 54 is allowed to travel upward since pin 41 has now moved up out of'the path of jockey arm 25, the peckers which find a perforation in tape T, also rise, and at the completion of the rise of jockey arm 25 pin 42 disengages the pawls 63 and 64 from the notches 65 and 66. The push rods 58 and 60 then move under the influence of springs 38.

and 39. in a direction toward the pecker operating levers 43 and 44. If the pecker 46, for example, finds a perforation the operating lever 44 assumes a raised position sothatpushrod 60slips; underneath this operating rod and the contact carried by arm 53 will go to marking position, as illustrated. If, however, .a. pecker rod does not find a perforation, as is shown by the position of peckerw rod 45, for example, the push rod will hit on the end of pecker operating lever 43 and the contact on arm 52wi'll stay on-spacing position.

It will he noted that the foregoing. func tions are performed'on the, forward or enpecker rodsremainin engagement with the tape and the spacing and marking contacts remain in closed position after the de-enere giZation-ofth e magnet 17 and until the next forward stroke. This insures a long contact time andproduces signals having impulses of a maximum length. 5

It is also to be noted that the contact pressure is determined solely by springs 38 and 39 and is not dependent upon the pressure of the pecker rods on the tape T. r

. Although the step-by-step transmitter, as

above described, relates to a cable code transmitter employingbut two pecker rods the unit may be increased to one using five pecker rods for five unit code work. '7

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently dif ferent embodiments ofithis invention couldbe made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended 'thatall matter, contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In a step-by-step transmitter, the combination of a tape and intermittently operated feeding means therefor, a pecker rod, means for biasing said pecker rod into ongagement with said tape, a pair of contacts, means operable in response to the character of the engagement of said rod with said tape for opening and closing said contacts and adapted to maintain said contacts closed with a pressure independent of the pressure exerted by the means for biasing said rod, means for adjusting the tension of said bias ing means, and means for adjusting the pressure exerted on one of said contacts independently of said first adjusting means.

2. In a step-by-step transmitter the combination of a tape and a feed wheel therefor,

a ratchet wheel and a cam wheel, an intermittently operated electro-magnet common to and for operating said ratchet and cam wheels, a pecker rod for engaging said tape, a pair of contacts, means responsive to the operation of said cam wheel for first disengaging said rod from said tape, means responsive to the subsequent operation of said ratchet wheel for then advancing said tape,

means for afterward positioning said rod to.

again engage said tape, and means for exerting pressure on one of said contacts 1ndependent of the pressure exerted on said rod 7 by said tape.

3. In a step-by-step transmitter the combination of a tape and a pecker rod normally engaging said tape, an electro-magnet, means for energizing and de-energizing said electro-magnet, a pair of contacts, means controlled by said electro-magnet upon its energization and before its ,de-energization to cause said pecker rod to first disengage said tape then to advance said tape and cause said pecker rods to again engage said tape, and means for closing said contacts during the time the magnet is energized and for maintaining said contacts under closing pressure independent of the pressure exerted on said pecker rod by said tape while said magnet is de-energized.

4. In a step-by-step transmitter the combination of a tape and feed wheel therefor, a ratchet wheel and a cam wheel, an intermittently operatable electro-magnet common to and for operating said ratchet and cam wheels, means for intermittently operating said magnet, a pecker rod for engaging said tape, a pair of contacts, means for disengaging said rod from said tape upon the operation of said cam wheel, means to advance said tape upon the operation of said ratchet wheel, means to engage said rod with said tape upon further operation of said ratchet wheel andmeansto 'closes'aid contaotsand I maintain said contacts in closed relation independent of 3 the pressure tape on said rod. I

5. -=In a step-by-step transmitter the combination of a tape anda pecker rod normally engaging said tape, anelectromagnet, means for energizing and-de-energizing said electromagnet, a pair of contacts, means controlled by said electromagnet upon its energization and before its de-energization to cause said peckerrod to first disengage said tape then to advance the tape and cause the pecker rod to again engage the tape, and means for opening said contacts for a predetermined interval during the time the magnet is energized. I j

6. In a step-by-step transmitter the combination of a tape and a pecker rod normally engaging said tape, an electromagnet, means for energizing and de-energizing said electromagnet, a pair of contacts, means controlled by said electromagnet upon its energization and before its de-energization to cause said pecker rod to first disengage said tape then to advance the tape and cause the pecker exerted by said rod to again engage the tape, and means for opening said'contacts for a predetermined interval during the time the magnet is energized, for releasing said contacts for closure and for maintaining said contacts closed with a pressure independent of the pressure exerted on said pecker rod by said tape while the magnet is de-energized.

7 In a step-by-step transmitter the com-V perforations in said tapeand for maintaining said contacts closed with a pressure independent of the pressure exerted by said pecker rod against said tape.

8. In a step-by-step transmitter the combination of a perforated tape and a feed wheel therefor, a ratchet wheel and a cam wheel, an intermittently operated electromagnet common to and for operating said ratchet and cam wheels, said cam wheel be ing always operable before said ratchet wheel, a pecker rod for engaging said tape, means responsive to the operation of said cam wheel for first disengaging said rod from said tape, means responsive to the subsequent operation of said ratchet wheel for then advancing said tape, means for afterward positioning said rod to again engage said tape, and means for exerting pressure 4 a sesmo (511 said contadts independent ofcthe ,pressure exerted'by said Ted engaging the tape or by said rod in passing through the perforations in said tape.

IIn Witness whereof, I iheveunto subscribe my name this 25th day of September, 1931'.

EMANUEL W. SUNDBERG. 

